Getting started in sausage making....my plan and some questions

[Michael_in_TX]

Hi all,

The recent Meat-Up corrupted me and....I gotta try my hand at some sausage making. I've had the KitchenAid attachment since January and have made some batches of breakfast sausage patties, so it has captured my interest.

It is clear from videos and reports that trying to use the KitchenAid -- perhaps any grinder -- for stuffing is an exercise in madness. Over the past few days I've been reading reviews on several 5 lb - 7 lb manual stuffers and have nearly settled on the LEM 5 lb stuffer. (Curiously, I am shocked the ultra-popular 5 lb Meat! Your Maker one gets so many poor reviews. Their site it is littered with "Do not buy!" reviews. Apparently, unlike their 15 lb one, it uses plastic gears and has a very weak joint where the handle meets the main part.)

The two YouTube channels I've been concentrating on are Bradley Robinson / Chud's BBQ and Joe at Smokin' Joe's Pit BBQ. Both channels are exceptionally clear in describing how and showing what they are doing in depth. Bradley has some especially good videos on explaining the ratio of all the things he uses in his sausages.

After I've gotten some experience, I may add a 0.5 HP grinder (Cabela's seems to make a nice one) later this year.

So here are some quick questions. First, where do yall typically gets your casings and supplies? What is a good place to pick up high-temp cheese?

Also, for a binder, is high temp nonfat milk powder absolutely needed or can one get by with the "regular" stuff at HEB?

Lastly, I've got a pretty good idea of when certain casings are used, especially for summer sausage and snack sticks. What I am not clear on if how one decides between natural hog or sheep casings.

[58limited]

I'm having trouble with Meat!'s 15 stuffer, it is very hard to crank. I need to open it up and see if the gears need grease. I have an LEM 5lb stuffer that works fine.


I recommend watching 2 Guys & A Cooler on youtube. They do a video a day every October for Sausage Month: Celebrate Sausge, lots of great recipes. Their first year they also posted several How-To videos that really explain the sausage making process in an easy to understand manner. Biggest takeaway though is keep the meat cold! Here is the play list:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRejVeIjIvLnkomKwV2PoV7WE700i1jce

The Sausage Maker and other online suppliers can supply casings. I get hog casings and the grocery store here, packed in salt. A local meat market might have them too.

The milk powder is not the same as the one at the store, 2 Guys has a video explaining it.

https://youtu.be/R_H5h14Wrq0?si=iDZAfke99bePJEwR

Sheep casings for small diameter sausage or for people who do not eat pork, I just use hog casings since they are available locally.

[Michael_in_TX]

That certainly answers my question (including quite a few I didn't even know I had) about milk powder. Exceptionally thorough video!

[RickyBobby]

Welcome to the world of sausage making!!! I am BY NO MEANS an expert or anything, but I have been dabbling for a couple of years now and really enjoy the process!!! Bradley Robinson’s videos, as you already know, are extremely helpful!!! Perfect recipes to start with, then you can tweak from there. All of that said, my understanding on casings, and I very likely could be completely wrong, is that the animal they come from determines the size of the casing more than anything else. There may be other factors, but I haven’t noticed any other appreciable differences other than size. I will share an Amazon link to the casing that I use for the majority of my sausage making. I also get my high temp cheese on Amazon. As for the milk powder, I’ve never tried the high temp stuff, but never had any issues with the stuff I get from the grocery store. Good luck!!!! Looking forward to seeing your finished product!!! Oh, and the manual stuffer was a game changer for me. I have a Weston 7 pound and love it.

https://a.co/d/daWzsr5

[58limited]

Don't forget the simple stuff: bulk sausages such as breakfast sausage and chorizo. You can practice grinding, seasoning, and mixing. I make bulk Italian sausage too, I rarely stuff it.

[Michael_in_TX]

Excellent idea, although I don't think I could top HEB's hot Italian sausage. Now, chorizo....I need to pencil that in. The grocery store stuff is effectively cardboard.

[58limited]

Michael_in_TX You're welcome, and it doesn't turn into a fatty liquid like store-bought

https://youtu.be/nfYw4VNBsSw?si=8w4uUsY7cwS_O6hW

[58limited]

My Italian sausage recipe. Add more red pepper to make it hotter. Adjust fennel to your taste - I tend to add more than the recipe states and I grind 1/3 to 1/2 of it.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/recipes-technique-food-cooking/sausages-jerky-salami-bologna-brats-and-hot-dog-recipes/776932-italian-sausage-recipe

[DaveD]

This might be the only place where one actually DOES want to ask how the sausage is made...!

Thanks, I'm here all week.

[Michael_in_TX]

A few weeks ago I stayed up way too late to watch the Texas House of Representatives debate a particular higher education bill. It was then that I realized I am fully on the wrong side of that 'law and sausages' joke....as apparently I do like to see both being made lol!

[OC Sandy]

For light duty gringing a KitchenAid attachment will work. However, give it a rest every 15-20 minutes so it doesn't overheat. I bought a secondary standalone grinder to increase production and help protect my KitchenAid.

For casings, high-temp cheese, and other sausage making supplies I have bought from The Sausage Maker sausagemaker.com

[texastweeter]

Learn how to replace that worm gear, lol

[TripleB]

+1 on Sausage Maker. I bought my first supplies through them, including the grinder and stuffer.

[johnec00]

I've been using a LEM 5 pound stuffer for many years, it is excellent for our use which is generally batches 5 pounds or less.

I've had some dissatisfaction with several sources of natural casings, especially those called "home packs" from Amazon. I have settled on casings from the Craft Butchers Pantry. For casings for things like summer sausage, most about any source of fibrous or large diameter collagen will work just fine. The Sausage Maker has a wide selection of these.

The difference between hog and sheep casings is primarily size, the sheep being smaller. Sheep casings are somewhat more delicate. Their advantage other than size is that they do not turn as tough when improperly prepared or improperly smoked.

As to milk powder, the grocery store stuff neither ads nor subtracts anything other than bulk. High temperature milk powder is an effective binder. As its more difficult to obtain, I've changed over to potato starch that is a good binder and available at local grocery stores.

Here's the link to the web site of Stanley and Adam Marianski that provides very good info on sausage making and hundreds of recipes.https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making

[Donw]

I keep a favorite link for meat and sausages on my browser not only for recipes but also inspiration. Here is the link directly to the recipes. https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes

And congratulations on your 1001 posts here.

[texastweeter]

All my equipment from grinder to stuffer to mixer are LEM. never had a problem.one, and we make a LOT of wild game sausage. I use regular bulk bags of powdered nonfat milk from the grocery store. Just the cheap stuff.

[Draznnl]

It's been a few years since I dabbled in sausage making, but I got my casings and supplies from here:

https://butchersupply.net/

[Jerod Broussard]

My last purchase was a LEM electric stuffer. Sooooo awesome.

[58limited]

I want one, especially after spending 6 hours manually stuffing 15lbs of snack stix.

[Jerod Broussard]

58limited they are awesome. And they have a kickback mechanism. When you let off the pedal it goes up a bit to take pressure off the meat.

[Donw]

I use all LEM equipment myself but I found years ago an all metal attachment for the Kitchen Aide for grinding. Forget who made it but it does work well for small batches. Maybe it or something similar with good quality is still out there.

[SheilaAnn]

Michael_in_TX at my old job, we had about 20 recipes in rotation. And if memory serves, the ONLY time we used a binder was for hot dogs.

now I want to do sausage, too. I have been messing around with breakfast sausage a bit. Just can’t nail it yet!

[Donw]

Glad to hear this. I’ve never used a milk binder for any of my sausages and no one has thrown them back at me. I thought maybe it was only me.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

Ditto - never used a binder here and never felt like I needed one.

[TripleB]

Very true. Never use binders anymore.

[TomfromtheSoo]

I’m also in for LEM. I use a #5 Big Bite Grinder and a 5 pound Mighty Bite stuffer. I also have an ancient cast iron stuffer me and dad used years ago.

Most of the time I do not stuff sausage into casing. I make bulk sausage and freeze in 1 +/- pound packages. If I make kielbasa or something similar to smoke I stuff it. Linked breakfast sausage is real good. One time I made a batch of Italian sausage in links and one day my wife was taking it out of the casing to pasta sauce that night. Hmmm, maybe I don’t have to stuff it all the time. Save us both some work.

Keep in mind, if you grind pork butts, you can also have ground pork (for chili, for meatloaf, etc). I usually keep some 6 ounce balls of ground pork in the freezer. We had pork burgers last night with pepper jack, salsa verde, and tomatoes. Yum.

I don’t use any binders or cheeses. Just meat, seasoning, and sometimes potatoes if I make potato sausage.

Tom

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I have been using the Backyard Pro sausage stuffer here:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/backyard-pro-ss-5v-butcher-series-5-lb-vertical-manual-sausage-stuffer/554BSSS5V.html

It is quite a bit cheaper than the LEM version which looks... well, essentially identical. It's been working well.

[Michael_in_TX]

I've noticed that a few of these have this same look.....the base, top part especially, and the crank look identical. There is a very good chance they are the same. I'm thinking about it.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I notice mine doesn't have the bolts on the top the way the LEM does - I am not too sure how that affects anything - but mine seems to work fine for smallish batches. I really want a motorized one, probably a 15 pound version.

[TripleB]

Basically what I have. Got it through Sausage Maker.

[Mosca]

I haven’t stuffed any casings yet; I’m still working on getting grinds and seasonings right. But one thing I’ve noticed: the bbq mantra, “More is better, and too much is just right,” doesn’t work for sausage seasoning. Too much garlic and sage and thyme makes breakfast sausage overbearing. The art of this seems to be getting the balance right. I’m working on it.

[SheilaAnn]

Mosca preach!